IBM program aims to spark girls' interest
'Excite' camp tries to draw attention to careers in science and technology.
IBM is rolling out a school program in Dubuque this month, hoping to inspire young women about the fields of science, engineering and information technology.
"Excite" is a program for girls ages 11 to 13, designed to pique their interest in career fields in which women are sparse.
The camp will be held from July 27 to 29 at the IBM center in downtown Dubuque. Main activities will be at the Roshek Building, with science projects and individual experiments conducted at Northeast Iowa Community College.
Paula Stewart, senior delivery manager at IBM in Dubuque, is a camp sponsor. She worked on the program previously with IBM in Raleigh, N.C.
"It's a field I feel very passionate about," she said. "To try to instill a culture in young ladies that they do not have to fear science and technology."
Stewart said 28 girls are enrolled in the program, which is designed to present principles and technologies in an understandable format.
"It tends to open up the world of what's possible for the girls," she said, adding they benefit from being in an environment without boys, where they can pursue Advertisement
the subjects.
"It sets a different theme. I think it helps; it allows them to bond," she said. "We have other camps designed for young men."
Joe Dzaluk, vice president of global infrastructure and resource management for IBM's integrated technical delivery, said the Excite program is designed to help more women pursue careers in science, math, engineering and IT.
"These are where the jobs are," he said, of the industries both nationwide and globally. "Unfortunately, the male-to-female ratio is not very good."
Stewart said the Dubuque Community School District helped create the program.
"We're hoping this will be the springboard for us to continue to do more great things for the community through the school system," she said.
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